Charlie Cornick inquest: Cyclist, 17, died when he was hit by a car on Yorkshire road just weeks after mother passed away

Charlie Louis Cornick suffered a serious head injury when he was knocked off his mountain bike on the A170 from Kirkbymoorside to Helmsley in November 2021 and died in James Cook University Hospital just weeks after his mother Susi Cornick had passed away from a terminal illness aged 46.

The apprentice mechanic was travelling home from work to Nawton – where he was living alone in a rented property – on a bike loaned to him by his boss, Kirkby Mills Garage co-owner Paul Grayson, who treated Charlie ‘like a son’.

The inquest heard that several drivers who overtook Charlie as he cycled along the unlit road near Welburn Crossroads remarked that he was not visible and should have been on the footpath, as he was wearing dark clothing and did not have working lights or reflectors on the bike.

He was struck from behind by a VW Tiguan drived by Rachel Adams, 26, who lives locally and was at school with Charlie’s elder sister, and was thrown onto the windscreen.

Miss Adams tested negative for drugs and alcohol and was never arrested or charged in relation to the accident. There were no substances found in Charlie’s blood at postmortem.

Charlie had told family members that he stuck mainly to the footpath during his commutes along the A170, other than a section of around 50 metres in length where there was a break in the path and where the collision happened.

Mr Grayson told the inquest that he gave him the mountain bike – described as ‘well-maintained’ – once Charlie’s mother was unable to drive him to work and because the local bus service was infrequent and expensive. He had spoken to Charlie about safety and advised him to use lights, wear a helmet and not to have earphones in while cycling. He added that Charlie did usually wear a reflective jacket, but was not wearing it as he left the garage on the evening he died. He added that he was devastated by Charlie’s death and ‘cared deeply’ about the teenager, who he had given a work placement to at the age of just 15.

Giving evidence, driver Rachel Adams said she had been approaching the crossroads at around 50mph, and slowed down when she saw it was busy with cars waiting to pull out of the junctions. She did not see Charlie as she was dazzled by the lights of an approaching car and was unable to swerve because a car was passing her in the other direction.

Police collision investigator Nigel Varney said there was a ‘clearly defined footpath’ along the A170 with a short break section. He added that neither the car or bike were defective, and there was no evidence either had made a sideways movement or been travelling in anything other than a normal position.

When the scene was searched, a USB light that was not working was found and believed to belong to Charlie, but Mr Varney confirmed that no lights or reflectors were fitted to the bike frame.

He conducted a visibility study which established that at 50-60mph, visibility would only have been between 4-5 metres in darkness, meaning Miss Adams did not have sufficient time to react to Charlie’s presence. He pointed to Highway Code recommendations that cyclists should always wear light or reflective clothing and have working lights and a suitable helmet. He concluded that Charlie was not clearly visible.

Senior coroner for North Yorkshire Jon Heath recorded a conclusion of death in a road traffic collision.

Paying tribute, Charlie’s sister Ashleigh Brown said: “Before she died, Mum depended on Charlie and they were so close. He had to grow up quickly and he was fiercely independent. Charlie could go into a room with a million people and come out with a million friends. He never excluded anyone and had a heart of gold. His personality was so rich. He partied a bit, but nothing excessive. He could turn his hand to any sport – he did regional-level athletics with our brother Jake, football and parkour. He was a gifted, incredible young man.”

Miss Brown, who now lives in Cumbria with her young son, heard about Charlie’s accident on Facebook, and when she arrived at hospital was asked to turn his life support off.

"It was the hardest decision I’ve ever made. Charlie’s death has changed the dynamics of our family. His funeral was on his 18th birthday and he is buried with Mum. People have been so kind. I know the driver and she isn’t a bad person. I loved my baby brother and I will make sure my son knows all about his uncle.”